A Late Entry

The 2009 SF Site Editors’ Poll – which I vote in – has just been published. What is particularly interesting about the SF Site poll is that it has a corresponding Readers’ Poll. So, for example, The City & The City by China Mieville tops the readers’ poll but is beaten into second by Dust Of Dreams by Steve Erickson in the editors’ poll (which doesn’t even feature on the readers’ list). In contrast, last year Anathem by Neal Stephenson topped both editors’ and readers’ polls and Erickson’s previous Malzan novel, Toll The Hounds, was similarly placed at fourth and fifth respectively.

British authors do tend to do a lot better on the readers’ poll: McAuley takes two slots compared to a mere mention on the editors’ list, Banks has made it onto the readers’ list for the last two years but didn’t get onto the editors’ list, Abercrombie is third this year but again only on the editors’ list.

The readers’ poll seems particularly good this year. I’ve not read YBT but since I’ve seen it described as “an Adam Roberts novel for people who don’t like Adam Roberts novels” I will probably be picking it up in paperback.